


Ride Home

by LittleHeda



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Clarke Griffin is a lifeguard, F/F, Lexa is a sad small bean, The Lifeguard AU Everyone Wanted On Tumblr, lifeguard AU, slight angst, the beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:03:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleHeda/pseuds/LittleHeda
Summary: The lifeguard AU that people were asking for on tumblr.





	Ride Home

Waves crashed lightly against the shore, the water lapping at Lexa’s ankles as she stood and observed the horizon. A gentle breeze tousled her brunette locks of hair, unraveling the intricate braids that she’d woven there that morning before work. Lexa breathed in deeply and then sighed, the bitter tang of salt water prevalent on the back of her tongue. The beach was quiet for a Friday night, but Lexa reveled in the solitude as she slowly stepped further into the water, her toes sinking into the sand.

The constant ebb and flow of the ocean threatened to pull her further out to sea, but Lexa planted her feet and let her arms drift freely across the surface. Beyond the break in the horizon, the sun was just beginning to set in a blaze of fiery hues, the occasional streak of purple bursting through the clouds of pink and orange. Lexa’s green eyes were dark with a rapidly rising wanderlust, a stark contrast to the art being painted across the sky. It was beautiful, appropriately so, and Lexa dared to blink as she basked in the sun’s final reaches of warmth.

Her day at the office had been a long one, the dull ache emanating through a chest a widespread source of misery. That morning, she had woken up to an empty bed, as she had many times before, but today it was different. Today was an anniversary of sorts (six months, but who was counting?), one that she wished with all her heart she could forget. Costia’s side of the bed remained untouched, the blankets still wrinkled and pillows still shuffled the way she’d left them. She had left that fateful morning with the promise to make the bed when she returned home, but Costia never came waltzing through the front door, enveloped in the familiar scent of Starbucks coffee.

Closing her eyes, Lexa tried not to recall so vividly the sound of tires screeching against the pavement. The noise had been loud enough to haul her from the bed, her feet shuffling across their bedroom and to the open window. She’d drawn back the curtains before hanging her head outside, the busy streets of New York having come to an unusual standstill. Horns were honking, alarms were blaring, and Lexa could still see the sluggish ooze of red soaked into the road when she stepped out of her apartment every morning.

As the sky morphed from bright pastels to a daunting, inky darkness, Lexa felt herself being drawn further and further out to sea. By the waves or of her own accord, Lexa wasn’t certain. It wasn’t until a bright light shone against the surface of the water that Lexa blinked, twisting against the waves and glancing back at the shore.

A woman, clad in the red bathing suit of a lifeguard, was wildly waving her arms and flashing the light in Lexa’s eyes. “Hey!” She was calling, and Lexa, on the tips of toes now, began wading back towards the shore. “It’s dark out!” She heard the woman say, and she refrained from rolling her eyes. “The beach is closed. It’s dangerous to be in the water at night.”

Lexa trudged through the sand, wringing out her hair as she emerged from the water. “I’m sorry,” She apologized, her feet kicking against the waves. “I didn’t realize—” She paused, her dark eyes unabashedly drinking in the sight of the lifeguard.

Blonde hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders, and Lexa couldn’t help but to notice the way that it beautifully framed her pale face. Crystalline eyes, bluer than the sky or the ocean, were glistening with mild concern as she stepped apprehensively towards Lexa, her hands placed lightly on curvy hips. Her swimsuit hugged her in all the right places.

“You didn’t realize _what_?” She was saying, and Lexa blinked from her stupor. “That it was dark out? Had I not been here, the waves could have dragged you out to sea, or the undertow could have—”

Lexa’s heart pounded with an unfamiliar flutter. “I’m sorry,” She repeated, her mouth suddenly dry as her stomach twisted with a far from desired nervousness. “It’s…it was a long day,” Lexa told the blonde, whose eyes suddenly softened with understanding. “I didn’t realize how long I’d been out there.”

“That’s alright,” The lifeguard replied, crossing her arms over the swell of her chest. “But it’s late. You should probably be heading home,” She paused, noting the grimace that darkened the Lexa’s features. “Do you need a ride?” She asked, and Lexa’s eyes snapped up to her face. Judging by the girl’s expression and the immediate parting of her lips, the lifeguard held up her hands to silence her. “I don’t mind,” She said. “Honestly. I’m not ready to head home yet, and so long as you’re not too far from Manhattan, I don’t mind the drive.”

Hesitant, Lexa eyed her with skepticism. “No,” She replied, uneasy. “That’s alright. Thank you, though…?”

“Clarke,” The lifeguard provided. “My name is Clarke,” After a momentary lapse in silence, her eyes widened and her hand lifted to cover her mouth. “I’m _so_ sorry,” She said. “I didn’t— _fuck_. I must look like such a creep. I didn’t mean to—” Clarke groaned and hung her head. “I’m sorry. I’m rambling. I just—you looked like you were dreading going home, and I thought maybe it was because you had to walk, or didn’t have the money for a cab, or—”

Before she could talk herself into a rut, the corners Lexa’s mouth quirked up with amusement. “It’s okay,” She reassured her, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her swim shorts. “Thank you, Clarke, for the offer. But I live all the way out in Brooklyn, and I couldn’t ask you to go that far out of your way. I can take a cab.”

Interest piqued, Clarke rocked back onto the heels of her feet and tilted her head at Lexa. “Brooklyn? Must have been a _really_ long day,” She proclaimed, and Lexa nodded once in agreement. “Are you sure you’d rather take a cab? That’s an hour long drive on a Friday night with a stranger,” Lexa raised an eyebrow, and Clarke’s cheeks tinged pink with a blush. “Not that _I’m_ not a stranger, but I’m a lifeguard. That _almost_ guarantees your safety.”

Lexa chuckled. “Almost?”

Clarke smiled sheepishly. “I killed the mannequin during CPR training. As long as you don’t stop breathing for any reason, we should be okay.”

Lexa, who should be unnerved by a lifeguard that couldn’t save her life, found herself stifling a laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She said, and Clarke’s responding smile was radiant.

 _No_. Lexa’s heart clenched at the warmth that was spreading through her chest. The amusement she’d felt in the wake of Clarke’s admission fell away, reminding her of the miserable hole that was eating away at her. _You can’t go with her_ , her brain was screaming at her. Lexa cringed. _You’re mourning. Costia is dead_.

Feeling the shift in Lexa’s mood, Clarke stepped back to give her space. “Hey,” She said, prompting Lexa to breathe in sharply before looking up at her. Her smile had lessened into one of sympathy, and Clarke’s hands had returned to resting on her hips. “My offer still stands, but if you’d rather take a cab, then by all means, go for it,” She chuckled. “I can’t say that I wouldn’t be hesitant either.”

“I appreciate it,” Lexa told her, ernest. “But I think I’ll take a cab.”

Clarke nodded, her smile still sympathetic. “Alright,” She relented, and Lexa relaxed at the submission. “Get home safe. Hopefully I don’t hear about you on the news tomorrow morning,” The tension drained from Lexa’s shoulders and she smiled, weakly, at the blonde. “Goodnight…?”

“Lexa,” She informed her. “My name is Lexa.”

“Lexa,” Clarke repeated, the name rolling smoothly from the tip of her tongue. “Goodnight, Lexa. I hope that you have a better tomorrow.”

With a small wave of her hand in departure, Clarke took several steps backwards before spinning on her heel to leave. Lexa watched her retreat up the bank, climbing the slight hill to the guard tower. She felt a twist in her gut and sighed, her fingers pressing against the change in her pocket. The cab ride home would be long, and Lexa doubted that the several quarters jangling in her shorts would be enough to pay the driver.

On a whim, she jogged up the shore, her feet hefting through the sand. “Hey,” She called, and Clarke whirled around to look at her. She raised an eyebrow, but Lexa was sure she saw a smirk flash briefly across her face. “About that ride home…”

“You tell me where to go, and I’ll drive,” Clarke said, pulling a lightweight sundress over her head. It was cruel, really, because the flowery fabric did little to show off the woman’s curves. Lexa flushed. “But do you mind if we stop for food?” She asked, and Lexa internally groaned. “It was a long day on my end, too.”

Lexa found herself nodding. “Sure,” She answered, and Clarke assaulted her eyes with smile more radiant than the first. “I don’t mind stopping for food.”

“Cool,” Clarke replied, slipping a bag over her shoulder. “Lets go then,” She said. “I’m starving.”

“Yeah,” Lexa murmured. “Me too.”

It was the biggest damn lie she’d ever told.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sorry. 
> 
> Also I've never written a one-shot before soooooooo forgive me.


End file.
